Saving Steve (Steve Rogers x Reader)

Chapter 10 - Deserving

Pushing through the Compound doors, you find Tony is true to his word. A stern-faced driver, presumably Tony's man Happy, waits beside a black Lexus with the back passenger door already open. 

"Miss L/n," he says, nodding politely. 

You slide in and let out a sigh of relief as he quickly pulls away. Soon you realize that you're much farther from home than you thought as the first hour of driving turns into two. And during that entire time, Happy doesn't say another word. 

The car remains overwhelmingly silent.

And silence has always been awkward for you. The constant urge to speak, despite having nothing to say, simply to fill the vacuous space the quiet creates.

"Who's the guy that floats?" you finally blurt out, unable to bear the quiet any longer.

Happy glances up at you in the rearview mirror, a slightly annoyed expression on his face. "What?"

"The guy. At the Compound. He started to float and then just...disappeared into the ground."

"Oh...uh, that's Vision. He's not big on doors. Or walls," Happy grumbles.

"Or floors," you mumble.

Happy lets out a snort but covers it quickly, resuming his serious demeanor. 

A few more silent minutes go by until you catch Happy's eyes in the rearview mirror. He quickly looks away, but you take the opportunity to speak to him again.

"So...you work for Iron Man?" you ask.

"Yep."

"Quite a boss to have," you say sourly.

"Not a lot of vacation," Happy answers. "But he's a good man."

You scoff and roll your eyes. Happy catches your gaze once more in the rearview, his brow furrowed.

"You got a problem with Mr. Stark?"

"Besides the fact he and his friends like to blow up everything they touch? No, not really," you grumble, crossing your arms and looking out the window.

"Well, I suppose they do their fair share of that," Happy says. "They also tend to rebuild what they knock down."

"Too bad they can't bring back the people they kill too," you snarl.

The car falls silent. Happy's grip on the steering wheel tightens, his knuckles paling. You can feel him looking at you in the mirror. But you keep your eyes out the window as tears threaten to fall.

"Who'd you lose?" he asks softly.

"My brother," you whisper, voice breaking.

"When?" Happy asks.

"2012."

"Ah shit," Happy huffs under his breath as he changes lanes. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well," you scoff, hiding your heartbreak with bitterness. You regret bringing it up, and hope Happy lets it go. You just want to get home. 

But you're not so lucky, as you feel Happy's eyes on you in the mirror. You can tell he's going to say something. And you're not wrong.

"You know, that fight took a real toll on Mister Stark. On all of 'em," he says.

You roll your eyes. "Yeah? Like what? Stress acne? Poor superheroes."

"They never wanted to fight that war," Happy says. "And I don't think any of them think of themselves as heroes. Not really. Not anymore."